Japan peace envoy concerned at SL rights abuses

Colombo, June 9: Japan's special peace envoy today voicedconcern at human rights abuses blamed on both the Sri Lankan state andTamil Tigers as police returned hundreds of deported Tamils to thecapital in a U-turn.

However unlike Britain and the United States, which have bothsuspended some aid citing rights abuse concerns, Yasushi Akashi saidJapan - Sri Lanka's chief financial donor - would continue with itsmulti-million dollar aid programmes.

And while during his five-day stay to Sri Lanka the policebanished hundreds of Tamils to the war-torn north citing securityconcerns, nine mutilated corpses were found north of Colombo and theTigers and military fought deadly battles, Akashi remains optimisticfor the future.

''In the domain of human rights, much still remains to be done.

There are obviously deficiencies and shortcomings,'' Akashi told anews conference, listing ''that unfortunate action of eviction of Tamilresidents from lodges in Colombo and many other acts of disappearances,abductions, extrajudicial killings...'' ''They are too numerous andthey are unacceptable for a civilised country like Sri Lanka,'' headded. ''I very much hope these problems will be energeticallyaddressed by all concerned.'' Rights groups have reported hundreds ofabductions and disappearances blamed on both sides. President MahindaRajapaksa argues many of those reports are fake and designed todiscredit his government and denies the security forces are involved.

Optimism

''My meeting with the President of the country as well asother leaders has convinced me that the commitment for peace is stillthere,'' Akashi said. ''I am going back with a certain amount of hopeand optimism as to the future of this country.'' ''The point is thegovernment is seriously addressing these issues and I have faith in thecommitment of this government to the rule of law and all principles ofdemocracy and human dignity.'' Hours before Akashi spoke, policetransported dozens of minority ethnic Tamils forcibly ejected from thecapital by armed officers on Thursday back to Colombo after the SupremeCourt issued an order blocking any further evictions.

Police had justified the deportation as a security measurefollowing attacks blamed on the rebels in and around the capital inrecent months, saying it was also an effort to eject any potentialTiger infiltrators from Colombo. Government ministers argued theevictions were voluntary.

Following the court order and amid widespread internationalcondemnation of the move, Rajapaksa's office issued a statement sayinghe had launched an inquiry into the police operation and woulddiscipline anyone found guilty of wrongdoing.

Authorities had wanted them to cross into rebel-held territory andreturn to their villages at a time when the foes are fighting artilleryduels.

Akashi said he hoped a cross-party initiative to come up with aconsensus devolution proposal to end the conflict would eventually bearfruit.

However the Tigers have already dismissed the proposals ofRajapaksa's ruling party, which offer the Tigers less autonomy thanthey have already, and analysts see no winner on the horizon in a warthat has killed nearly 70,000 people since 1983 and displaced over500,000 people.

Reuters

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